Baby It's Cold Outside
by emilieparrilla
Summary: Dark Castle fluffiness! Rumple takes Belle on a trip to the town for the winter festivities.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - Prompted by ouatauburngirl for the Rumbelle Secret Santa on Tumblr :) I hope you like it! Please leave some feedback. **

**Happy holidays!**

**Rachel xxx**

* * *

Belle wiped the remnants of flour on her apron and sat down by the roaring fire to warm herself. The Dark Castle was a cold place at best, and when winter had hit with a vengeance, it was absolutely freezing. She curled up on the armchair, wrapping her arms around herself. It wouldn't surprise her if there were a couple of icicles forming in some old forgotten room. Of course, the castle was so huge that it was near impossible to search everywhere and the thought of keeping the whole building warm was unbearable. Thankfully, Rumplestiltskin didn't seem to feel any temperature, so she only had to worry about warming herself.

With a slight shiver, she moved away from the heavenly fire and removed the bread from the oven. It smelled delicious and she couldn't suppress the grin that tugged on her lips. She'd been the Dark One's maid for over three months now and yet every time she baked successfully it was a proud moment. She'd lived such a privileged, enclosed life as a future duchess and only ever read and sang and danced and learned etiquette. She hated to think of how she'd taken the servants for granted all of her life. A stupid, spoiled, entitled child…

* * *

"For me?" Belle asked in surprise, setting the porcelain teapot down on the table.

"Why, yes, dearie," responded Rumplestiltskin, amused.

"But why?" questioned Belle, correcting herself quickly "N-not that I am ungrateful, sir."

The last display of kindness from her master had been her own bedroom and her prized library, perhaps the only thing that made this new life bearable. The remainder of the time, he had been coldly courteously to her, locking himself in his tower for days on end. And that was when he was in the castle. He was away so often, doing things that Belle had no care to think about. She had developed a routine in the first few weeks, when she'd realised that Rumple was not as beastly as many believed – cooking, cleaning, reading and sleeping. She couldn't believe he was given her a gift.

"Your hard work here has not gone unnoticed."

Belle was surprised by this. He'd never shown an interest in her before. She had always wondered why he chose her in bargain.

"Winter is a very special time in the village, I hear. I thought you might enjoy a short visit."

"Really!" exclaimed Belle, launching herself at him.

"Yes, yes," he said, rather impatient "The carriage awaits."

"Oh, of course, Rumplestiltskin. I'm so sorry… My behaviour, was not proper."

"Dearie, hadn't you better change first?" he responded, mockingly "Good staff are hard to come by. I would hate if you caught your death of cold."

"I-I have nothing else."

"Pardon me, _my lady_. I had this made for you."

Rumple handed the wrapped cloak to her. In her excitement she had forgotten about his gift to her. She accepted it happily, noting that it was folded neatly. She blushed. Rumple coughed.

"I'll leave you to ready yourself," he said "The carriage leaves in a quarter of an hour. Do not be late. It will not wait for you."

The imp vanished with a tinkling laugh.

"Thank you!" called Belle, hastily, before unfolding the bundle in her arms. She was not used to such fine material; not since she made her sacrifice. A lifetime away… It was undeniably beautiful, deep purple with a swirling gold pattern. The cotton promised warmth and when she saw the fur had a lining, she smiled. So he _did_ care about her. For the Dark One, he had remarkably good taste. She turned the cloak over in her hands before abruptly recalling her strict timeline and thundering up the stairs in a most unladylike manner.

* * *

"Ah, Cinderella arrives," said Rumple from the carriage, unabashedly staring as she descended the front steps. She was too engrossed in holding up the skirts of her golden dress to avoid tripping, to notice.

As she walked, slowly and carefully, her foot met ice and she felt herself tumbling down. Seconds later, when there was no impact, she opened her tightly closed eyes and found herself staring up at the scaled face of her unlikely saviour. Rumplestiltskin's eyes seemed to glow golden in the harsh winter light and as she realised she was staring, she felt her cheeks heat up.

"Careful, my lady," he said with all the chivalry of her noble betrothed. He set her down on the ground gently, ensuring that she was not off balance. "Those shoes are awfully impractical."

With a wave of his hand, a cloud of purple engulfed her and when it cleared, she looked at her feet and saw that the previous impractical golden slippers had been transformed into black boots that climbed halfway to her knee and were laced up with intricate gold laces.

"Thank you, Rumple," she said, breathy with excitement.

"You're welcome, Belle," he responded.

The duchess blushed even more deeply, hiding it behind her curtain of caramel hair. It was the first time her master had called her by her forename. She had no idea why that small thing brightened her spirits even more than the prospect of a trip into the town.

"Shall we?" he asked, allowing her to take his arm as they walked to the lavish carriage.

* * *

The _carriage_ journey passed in a blur of white fields and blue skies. Belle was content to stare out of the window to watch the stunning scenery pass by, resulting in a mostly comfortable, slightly awkward silence. Once, Belle had snuck a peek at him out of curiosity, and saw him sitting with his back ramrod straight and his hands clasped tightly in front of him, staring straight ahead unseeingly. He'd seemed so far away…

With a jolt, the carriage came to a rather abrupt halt and Belle was ripped from her daydream. She tied the cord at her throat to keep her new cloak snug against her shoulders and rearranged her hair as best she could without a mirror, suddenly feeling self-conscious. It had been months since she'd seen another living soul and now she began to panic that she would make a total fool of herself.

"I had thought we would actually get out of the carriage. But, if you would prefer to sit here then you are more than welcome to," came Rumple's high-pitched voice.

"I'm coming!" she said, like an excited child.

Belle accepted his hand to step down, not wanting to risk another slip. It was strangely soft and warm to the touch, despite the rest of his cold skin.

"The townsfolk will gawk at you, dearie. It's not every day they see a pretty young girl walk willingly with the Dark One."

As they walked, Belle thought back on that statement. It was said in a mocking way, yet she felt a sudden sadness that he should think of himself that way. He'd never been absolutely despicable to her, ever since the Robin Hood incident. Perhaps he was changing, like she'd always believed he could. This whole outing was surely a sign of it.

"Well, I would gladly walk with you, Rumplestiltskin," she said, squeezing his hand briefly "You're not a monster."

"Oh, but I am, dearie," he responded, taken aback "I'm the creature_ hiding_ in the shadows."

Belle hid her smile as he ended his sentence with a childish giggle. Its purpose was to frighten her away, to stop her getting too close to him. Instead, it made her want to try harder to see past the beast and be a friend to him, even if he had technically kept her prisoner.

* * *

The town was silently, eerily so, as they entered. Belle was a bundle of nerves once more but she needn't have been. There were people lining the streets, all with their heads bowed in respect for their lord's arrival. All stalls had been abandoned but the fires still crackled and the sweet scent of spiced apple cider filled her nostrils.

"Rise, please," she said, quickly, becoming uncomfortable with their unnatural welcome.

A few of the young children rose and smiled with their gap teeth, clearly in awe of her, but the majority stayed in position, as if they were frozen.

"Do as the lady says," ordered Rumple, after receiving Belle's pointed look.

The transformation was so sudden that it made her feel slightly dizzy and her self-consciousness returned with a vendetta as all eyes fell on her, scrutinising her. A few of the braver ones scurried back to their respective stalls, keen to earn the money they needed to support their families.

"We welcome you humbly, my lady," said a girl no more than fifteen, dipping into a curtsy in front of her "Lord Rumplestitlskin, we were not expecting a visit from you. We apologise…"

"Yes, yes," he said, brushing her off and turning to address the crowd "This is Lady Belle and she is under my protection. She is to be treated with the utmost respect as befitting someone of her station. If any harm is to befall her, I shall be _very_ angry indeed."

There was a chorus of "yes, my lord" and then work resumed, leaving Belle standing at the Dark One's side, feeling deeply uncomfortable.

* * *

Belle wandered down the narrow street, breathing in the fresh air and looking around her in amazement. She clutched the bag of gold coins that Rumple had given her, although she was confident that nobody would dare to steal from her and incur the wrath of their lord. He had left her with strict instructions to stay on the main streets where the winter market was and to meet him by the lake in two hours. She had thought that more than fair and promptly agreed, not having time to protest as he thrust the money towards her and disappeared.

The new cloak felt heavy on her shoulders and she was beginning to feel weary. Perhaps because she hadn't walked so much since her time in the castle… A particularly appealing stall selling warm beverages caught her eye and she felt drawn to it. The old lady there smiled brightly at her and began to list everything she had on sale. In the end, Belle selected a cup of mulled wine and some oat biscuits, sitting down on a rock and enjoying the warmth that was slowly spreading through her. It was nice, to be free of the confines of the stuffy castle. And however much she found herself enjoying the hard work of cleaning and cooking, it was great to have a day off to relax and enjoy herself.

After her snack, she felt her strength return along with a new eagerness to explore and learn about these people and their culture. She was, after all, going to live next door to them for the rest of her life. _Where to first, _she thought.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N - Thank you for all the favourites and alerts. It means a lot to me! I am not too sure how I feel about this... I feel the characterisation is a bit off but I hope you all still like it :) Please review!**

**Much love, **

**Rachel xxx**

* * *

"Good gracious," said Rumplestiltskin as she waddled toward him, arms laden with treasures from her journey through the market.

"Could you…?" she asked, panting as she reached his side.

Rumple drew a circle in the air with his finger and Belle gazed in amazement as her bundle began to levitate as it was drawn towards the faintly glowing circle. One by one, the items went through and then disappeared until the air became still once more.

"There you go, dearie. You will find your purchases back in the carriage," said Rumple with a smile, extending his hand "Now come. I wish to introduce you to something new."

Belle took his hand without hesitation and allowed herself to be pulled down to the lake's side, still trying to regain her breath from her hike through the snow.

"I wish I could do magic, Rumplestiltskin," she began, wistfully "It looks so beautiful…."

"Do you wish to be my apprentice, Belle?" he asked, very seriously.

"What- no, I could never…" her response came quickly "I only meant…"

"If it is your wish to learn magic, then I shall train you," said Rumple "But you must be aware. All magic comes with a price. _Nobody_ can remain pure at heart when they dabble in the arts."

"I do not wish to learn, Rumplestiltskin. I believe I am destined to appreciate the beauty of magic from afar."

"Magic is not beautiful, dearie. _My_ magic is anything but."

"Then change it – use magic to help people, to bring joy and happiness and_ life_."

"Do not try to manipulate me, Belle. It shall not work."

"But I am not manipulating you, Rumple, I am offering you advice."

"You read too many of those books, dearie," he said, an underlying warning in his voice.

"I am only trying to help you," she responded, simply "Now, you said you had something you wanted to show me."

"Yes," he finished "Follow me."

Taking a deep breath, the lady followed, a step behind him. With all his gestures of kindness recently, she had almost forgotten that her companion was the feared Dark One; murderer, manipulator, malicious. How could she have forgot all that with just a few sweet words? She shook her head to clear her thoughts, determined to enjoy the rest of her day.

* * *

"Rumplestiltskin, I am not walking across the lake. Are you insane?" protested Belle, her feet firmly planted on the frosty banks.

"Did you never see the common children skating in the winter?" he asked, looking almost shocked.

"My home was never cold enough to freeze the lake. Besides, a future duchess was never allowed outside of the castle without an entourage of guards," responded Belle. Her decision to sacrifice herself for her people was the first that was truly her own. "And even then, 'a ruler does not walk among her people'."

"Why did you come with me, Belle? I could have done anything to you and you would be powerless to stop me. You heard the rumours, the terrifying tales of my wicked ways. Tell me, how does one so privileged gain such defiant bravery?"

"I was never _truly_ afraid of you, Rumplestiltskin. I always found the tales fascinating. My yearning for adventure was strong and I found an escape in my book. In my books, the heroine is always dauntless and wily and clever. Why shouldn't I have a chance to prove myself? A ruler must always do right by her people, do you not agree?"

"You are a very wise woman, Belle. But the world is a cruel place for someone so innocent."

"I learn quickly."

"Yes, you do. Any other lady would have attempted to evade me by now. They would be dead."

Belle didn't know how to respond to such a chilling statement and instead gave a small nod.

"Don't look so worried, dearie. I've grown quite fond of you. Unless you betray me, you shall be absolutely fine," he said, in that all too common mocking way.

"Yes, my lord," she said, tightly.

* * *

Ten minutes later and Belle found herself standing a few metres from the bank, desperately trying not to fall. She held her arms out as an attempt to get her balance but she was frozen solid. _So much for having the grace of a duchess_.

"Lower your arms, dearie. You are not trying to fly off and migrate with the birds," came Rumple's taunts.

Belle scowled, turning her face away from him. In an attempt to prove herself to him, she had foolishly decided to try 'ice-skating'. She was beginning to seriously regret it. Why would anyone choose to willingly step onto some frozen surface in the name of _fun_? She lowered her arms.

"You are standing far too straight, bend your knees a little."

Praying that she wouldn't slip and make a total mockery of herself, she did as instructed, all the while just wishing she could get back onto the relative safety of solid ground. Her hands were clenched so tightly into fists that her knuckles had turned red and white. Her nose felt numb and she was pretty sure it was ruby red. She had never appreciated the warmth of her home before now… Out here in the middle of the lake, the icy wind picked up around her and she felt even more unstable_. Oh god_.

"Relax!"

"You're not the one out here," Belle grumbled, in a way most unlike herself.

There was a momentary silence and Belle gingerly moved her feet to turn around to face him. To her surprise, there he was, gliding over the ice towards her, confidence radiating off of him. He grinned at her, showing blackened teeth that still managed to look endearing. He came to a halt behind her, and took her hand tightly.

"Come on, Belle. One step at a time. Push forward," he said, showing her the basic movement on the spot "_Gently_."

Clutching onto his hand like a child behind her mother's skirts, Belle took her first step. She stumbled, but didn't fall. That gave her some semblance of hope that she wouldn't be entirely hopeless at this strange activity. Belle took another step. And another. And another.

"Well done, dearie," congratulated Rumple as he helped her stop.

Belle was beaming with delight at her achievement and was so giddy with excitement that she didn't notice that Rumple had released her hand. She stepped forward again and managed to get a few metres before she realised she was on her own.

"I did it!" she exclaimed.

"Yes, Belle. Did you enjoy it?" asked Rumple.

"Oh yes, Rumple. I loved it," she replied "Thank you!"

In the spur of the moment, she felt she should hug him. To let him know that he was capable of love and affection and friendship and all those other good, human emotions. Forgetting that she was not exactly a competent skater, she tried to race over the ice to him. That worked fine, until she found herself barrelling towards him like a runaway carriage, and unable to stop. She screamed out a warning as she began to flail her arms in all directions.

* * *

Belle looked down at Rumple's surprised expression. She breathed heavily, placing her hand on the ice to get more comfortable, even though it burned through her skin. There was a sort of dull pain in her ankle but she ignored it, staring into his eyes. The way the dying light caught them, they mesmerised her and she couldn't tear herself away, even though she know these sorts of feelings towards him were wrong and unwelcome.

"Belle," he said, pointedly, with a cough.

Flushing red, she tried to push herself off. Unfortunately, her luck had well and truly run out. Her foot slid and she collapsed back on top of him with a sharp scream. He grunted but didn't otherwise protest. His chapped lips formed a slight smile.

"You have certainly knocked me off my feet, Belle, dear. You could have just asked," he teased.

It had the desired effect. She turned as red as a tomato, hastily breaking their eye contact_. I should have paid more attention during my lessons_. The shame of physically assaulting her master was almost too much to bear.

"I am only joking, dearie," he responded, seeing her flustered state "Although if you wouldn't mind…"

Deciding that standing up was out of the question, she rolled to the side, landing on her stomach on the ice. She shivered. Rumple was on his feet in a moment and she gratefully accepted his hand. Once on her feet once more, she wound her arm tightly around his, clinging on as if her life depended on it.

"Don't let go," she half-pleaded, her short-lived confidence on the lake falling away.

"I won't," he agreed.

* * *

After 'skating' round the lake once (Rumple keeping his promise) the pair reached the bank. Belle collapsed to the grass as if it were heaven; drawing her knees to her chest to shield herself from the biting wind. To her surprise, Rumplestiltskin sat next to her, legs straight out.

"Here," he said, pulling a fur blanket from mid-air.

"Thank you," she replied with chattering teeth, wrapping it around her shoulders and pulling the hood of her cloak up to cover her ears.

They sat in silence for a while, watching as the sun dipped further in the clear blue sky. The snow clouds had gathered once more and the first flakes of the night were slowly drifting down. Belle remembered the time she had gone to visit her royal cousin in her kingdom – her very very cold kingdom. It had been her first proper snowfall and her cousin had spent as much time as possible with her; teaching her how to build a snowman and how to make snow angels. Smiling, the lady stuck her tongue out, catching the perfect little flake on her tongue. After a while of doing so, she noticed her companion staring at her curiously. She had forgotten she was not alone.

"During the winter of my eleventh year, we went to sort some affairs with my cousin. There was miles of snow all around, every day, completely untouched…" said Belle "It's just a silly thing we used to do."

"I don't find it silly," he said.

"Oh…?"

"It's very endearing, actually."

"Oh…"

"I may be the Dark One, dearie. That does not mean I cannot appreciate the beauty of small things. As impossible as that sounds."

"You were not always this… way, were you?" asked Belle, suddenly.

"No. I was not," he responded, his walls firmly in place.

"Tell me how you came to be the most feared in all the realms, Rumplestiltskin. I have told you a story, I only wish to understand you better…. If you have to be my only companion for the rest of my life… I deserve that much, don't you think?"

It was blatant manipulation, but despite his earlier warning, he gave in to her. She felt a pang of guilt but pushed it away. If she was to help him become a better person, she needed something to work with. And so she listened intently to his tale.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - Here is the final part to this mini-fic :) I'm sorry it's quite short but I'm just been so busy with school lately. I hope you like it! **

**I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and I hope 2014 is a great year for you :D**

**Love and hugs,**

**Rachel xxx**

* * *

It was interesting, she thought to herself, and not as dark or hopeless as she had imagined. She felt sad for him and the desperation he had suffered. Maiming himself for family. Being branded a coward. Living a life of poverty. Losing his wife to a pirate. The fact that he had been tricked into his new persona comforted her. She was not fighting a lost battle. He'd never purposely wanted to become wicked and amoral, she believed. And of course there was the matter of losing his son through a portal. She could only imagine the pain of losing her father in the same way. Her father… A pang of homesickness shot through her for the first time in days. That was beside the point, however. Rumplestiltskin could be saved, she decided. With a lot of time, effort and patience… She _did _have a whole lifetime of solitude ahead of her to complete her new goal.

"So, Rumple, where did you learn to skate like that?" Belle asked, trying to lighten the mood "You certainly put me to shame. And I'm the supposedly graceful and elegant lady."

"I learned… as a boy," he said with a chuckle.

"You were a peasant?"

"Oh yes. My mother died in childbirth and my further gambled all our money. I had a friend. Lysa, her name was. Before, I was always lonely and she took my hand one day and taught me how to have fun when you have no money," he began, drifting off into a world of his own "I watched her die, you know. Before I became the Dark One, when Bae was just a babe, she caught the flu and it killed her. There was no money for anyone to do anything about it…"

"I'm sorry," Belle whispered, feeling pathetic standing there with one hand gently touching his shoulder "I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't, Belle. I have many regrets in my rather lengthy life, not being able to save her is one of them."

"There was nothing you could have done, Rumple…"

"No, there wasn't. But it doesn't make it any better."

"She taught you well."

"Yes… It reminds me of her. I hear her laughter. I see her silhouette pirouetting in the middle of the ice. I hear her voice…"

"You honour her well, Rumple. You still do ice skating, even though you have better things to do."

"I did not bring you here just to make me feel better about Lysa's fate, Belle," he said, bringing his palm up to touch her face "I brought you here to say thank you."

"Oh," she stuttered.

"You've done your duty better than I could ever have hoped. You do not voice your complaints. You do your work quietly and never pity yourself. Not once have you asked for anything outrageous – like your freedom. Why not? I always asked myself that… You fascinate me, Belle. Why do you not want to go home?"

"My home is your castle, now, Rumplestiltskin. We made a deal."

"A deal out of desperation. Reckless."

"Reckless, perhaps, foolish… But I don't regret it. For it meant my people survived."

"I respect that, Belle. I wanted to give you something in return."

_In return for what_, Belle longed to ask.

"But why? You wanted me to become your housekeeper, did you not? Why regret it now?"

"I don't regret it…"

Belle looked at him closely. His normally pallid cheeks had a pink tinge to them and his hears were scarlet. And not from cold. He was _blushing_. Did he...? Was it possible that he returned her developing feelings? No, _no_, she thought. The Dark One has a heart of stone. He is as cold as the ice you walk on. She didn't believe that. Not now.

"Whatever your reason; thank you for this trip. I had a most wonderful day," she said with a smile, holding both his hands in her own "I hope you will consider bringing me here again."

"If that is what you wish, Belle, of course. It is the least you deserve."

"It's late," she said "We should be returning home."

"Of course," he finished, offering his arm once more.


End file.
